The MLB Draft arrives right as the All-Star break creeps into view, and for the Astros, it carries extra weight. Houston won’t be on the clock until No. 17, which means a long wait before the first chance to add to a farm system that has been thinned out by years of chasing immediate success.
That makes the first three rounds especially important for the Astros. They have three picks in that stretch, and with so little pipeline depth, each one matters. Houston’s future has been spent in the name of “right now,” so this draft is a chance to start rebuilding some of what was moved along the way.
There’s also an added selection for the Astros after Hunter Brown finished in the top three for the AL Cy Young last season. That pick comes right after No. 25.
The draft begins at 1 p.m. ET and will be shown on NBC and Peacock. The Chicago White Sox hold the first pick.
This year’s MLB Draft runs over two days, July 11-12. Day one opens at 1 p.m.
ET, while day two starts at 11:30 a.m. ET.
For Saturday, July 11, the first day of the 2026 MLB Draft is broken into three windows: 1:00-2:30 p.m. ET for the preview show and picks 1-10 on NBC and Peacock; 2:30-4:30 p.m.
ET for picks 11-40 on MLB Network, Peacock, MLB.com, MLB.TV, and MLB+; and 4:30-7:45 p.m. ET for picks 41-135 on Peacock, MLB.com, MLB.TV, and MLB+.
In Other News...
Astros Were Just Tied To A Much Bigger Brewers Concern
The Brewers wrapped up the first half with a loss to the Pirates and a 59-37 record, but the more pressing news for a contender with October ambitions came off the field. Milwaukee kept tinkering with the roster at the break, including bringing in infielder Braden Shewmake from the Astros for cash while also making a few other moves to clear space and reset the depth chart.
Brandon Woodruffs situation is the one hanging over everything. He has not pitched since July 4, and after a new shoulder issue pushed him to the 60-Day Injured List, the Brewers are still waiting on a second opinion before they can map out anything resembling a return plan. For a team trying to protect a strong first half, the uncertainty around one of its key arms is the kind of concern that can linger well beyond the All-Star break. [Read more 🡒]
Astros Just Got Another Troubling Sign About Their Rotation Depth
The Astros rotation depth took another hit this week when right-hander Mike Burrows landed on the 15-day injured list after being optioned to Triple-A. Houston had hoped the move would give Burrows a chance to regroup, but the club instead had to reverse course and nullify the assignment, leaving another arm unavailable as the team tries to keep its pitching staff intact through the summer stretch.
Burrows is not eligible to return until July 22, and his situation comes on the heels of a similar episode with Kai-Wei Teng just three weeks earlier. For a front office that has already spent real prospect capital to build pitching depth, the repeated injury-related reversals are a reminder that the Astros margin for error on the mound is getting thinner, not wider. [Read more 🡒]
Astros Cannot Cross This Trade Deadline Line
The Astros reached the All-Star break at 47-51, a place they have not been in for years and one that forces a different kind of conversation as the trade deadline approaches. If Houston does decide to listen on veterans, it will be doing so from an unfamiliar position, with the front office having to weigh short-term damage against whatever chance remains to keep the season from slipping away.
Yordan Alvarez is the one player who makes that calculation feel especially dangerous. Even in a down year for the club, he has been one of the leagues most productive hitters and remains under contract through 2028 on a deal that still looks favorable for Houston, which is exactly why moving him would be the kind of move that can haunt a team long after the deadline passes. [Read more 🡒]